Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Pterodactroll

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Radioactive sci-fantasy junglesFREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 3/17MOVE: 12 they are too fat and fucked up to flyHIT DICE: 9-12% IN LAIR: Don't careTREASURE TYPE: If you cut him open you might find some good stuff in there from swallowed people.NO. OF ATTACKS: 3DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8/2-8/3-30SPECIAL ATTACKS: Mutagen in saliva (see below)SPECIAL DEFENSES: RegenerationMAGIC RESISTANCE: Pterodactrolls are all radioactive mutants so arcane magic has a chance of mutating them furtherINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: Neutral (Upset)SIZE: L (15' tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Pterodactrolls are horrible wallowing carnivorous mutant things that happen if you leave chaos alchemists alone too long in isolated places beyond time. Their ability to regenerate makes them ideal test subjects. They usually just sit there in cages hating life but occasionally someone will stuff one into a narrow corridor as a way of keeping intruders out. On a successful bite (the 3-30 attack) the victim must save or develop a minor mutation in d4 days.
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My players really enjoyed this creature. I allowed it a 4-in-10 chance of actually achieving lift-off, which would allow a flight 'altitude' of about 10 ft, movement remaining at 12 ft. But I required it to roll flight checks (at some significant penalty) for the two rounds following lift-off, before altitude could be maintained and movement controlled. What this provided the game with was a somewhat loathsome, sadly-comical monster (I allowed it a pretty high HP for encounter duration) that ended up causing more destruction and chaos by either trying to flee or gain advantage. It's mutagen spit dousing all manner of life each time it beefed it... into a tree or a wall or a PC. Any organic life-form, coming into contact with the saliva, also had a chance of incurring a mutation.

It was just an all-around good time, watching my players haphazardly chase down (or be chased down) a very confused and aggressive Pterodactroll. Slapstick mayhem. Thanks for the creature.